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Sayeret (Hebrew ?????, pl. sayarot), literally means "reconnaissance
Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information. Militarily, its shorthand Australian, Canadian, and British form is recce , its American usage form is recon ....
 unit" in the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces

The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew Acronym and initialism Tzahal , are Israel's military forces, comprising the GOC Army Headquarters, Israeli Air Force and Israeli navy....
 (IDF). In practice, these units specialize in commando
Commando

In military science, the term commando denotes an individual soldier, a military unit, and a raid . Contemporarily, commando identifies ?lite light infantry and special forces units specialised in parachuting, rappelling, and amphibious warfare to conduct and effect attacks....
 and other special forces
Special forces

Special Forces , also known as, Special Operation Forces is a generic term for highly-trained military teams/units that conduct specialized Military operation such as reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, and counter-terrorism actions....
 roles, in addition to reconnaissance (the degree of specialization varies by units and current needs). Such units are usually a company
Company (military unit)

A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 75-200 soldiers. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure....
 or a battalion
Battalion

A battalion is a military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven company and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel....
 in strength.

combat brigade
Brigade

A brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army....
s in the IDF have a unit with improved weaponry and training used for reconnaissance and special forces missions.






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Encyclopedia


Sayeret (Hebrew ?????, pl. sayarot), literally means "reconnaissance
Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information. Militarily, its shorthand Australian, Canadian, and British form is recce , its American usage form is recon ....
 unit" in the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces

The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew Acronym and initialism Tzahal , are Israel's military forces, comprising the GOC Army Headquarters, Israeli Air Force and Israeli navy....
 (IDF). In practice, these units specialize in commando
Commando

In military science, the term commando denotes an individual soldier, a military unit, and a raid . Contemporarily, commando identifies ?lite light infantry and special forces units specialised in parachuting, rappelling, and amphibious warfare to conduct and effect attacks....
 and other special forces
Special forces

Special Forces , also known as, Special Operation Forces is a generic term for highly-trained military teams/units that conduct specialized Military operation such as reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, and counter-terrorism actions....
 roles, in addition to reconnaissance (the degree of specialization varies by units and current needs). Such units are usually a company
Company (military unit)

A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 75-200 soldiers. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure....
 or a battalion
Battalion

A battalion is a military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven company and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel....
 in strength.

Sayeret units in the IDF

All combat brigade
Brigade

A brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army....
s in the IDF have a unit with improved weaponry and training used for reconnaissance and special forces missions. Historically the brigades used to only have one company-sized unit outfitted to do this job, known as Palsar (Hebrew Contraction
Contraction (grammar)

In current English usage, contraction is shortening of a word, syllable, or word group by omission of internal letters.In traditional grammar, contraction can denote the formation of a new word from one word or a group of words, for example, by elision....
 of: ?????-????, Plugat Siyur (singular) / Plugot Siyur (plural), "Reconnaissance Company"). Although the Palsar are mostly oriented at battlefield support (which is their raison d'être), many have participated in special operations
Special operations

Special operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Examples of special operations include such operations such as reconnaissance/military intelligence, unconventional warfare, and counter-terrorism actions....
 during recent years. All infantry
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
 units as well as some armored units have Palsar.

While in the past there were differences between the siyur units, due to the experiences of the past decades the IDF is now consolidating them into larger units with many different capabilities: battalion-sized units called Gadsar (contraction of Gdud siyur, "Reconnaissance battalion"). Each Gadsar is made up of three specialized Plugot (companies): Demolitions (Plugat Heil Handasa, or Palhan), Reconnaissance (Plugat Siyur, Palsar) and Anti-Tank / Heavy Weapons (Plugat Neged Tankim, or Palnat).

This is part of the Yatah ("Low-Intensity Combat Unit") Project. This project aims at changing the Reconnaissance battalions into specialized urban counter terror units, that are specifically trained and equipped to operate in current combat situations. It must be recognised that the Palsar of these battalions were once considered to be of superior quality in comparison to the other two companies but now all are of rather equal status.

Other sayarot are larger units, operating under corps
Corps

A Corps is either a large formation , or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service....
 and commands. There are several battalion-size special forces units which report directly to regional, functional (navy/air-force) and the general commands. The best known of these are Sayeret Matkal
Sayeret Matkal

Sayeret Matkal is the main special forces unit of the Israeli Defence Force . Its main roles are counter-terrorism, deep reconnaissance and military intelligence, but the unit is first and foremost a field intelligence-gathering unit, used to obtain strategic intelligence behind enemy lines....
, Shayetet 13
Shayetet 13

Shayetet 13 is the Israel Defense Forces naval Special forces unit. The unit is considered one of the top-three SF units in Israel . S'13 is the unit that specializes in maritime hostage rescue and counter-terrorist missions....
 and Sayeret Shaldag.

List of known sayeret units


  • Sayeret Matkal
    Sayeret Matkal

    Sayeret Matkal is the main special forces unit of the Israeli Defence Force . Its main roles are counter-terrorism, deep reconnaissance and military intelligence, but the unit is first and foremost a field intelligence-gathering unit, used to obtain strategic intelligence behind enemy lines....
     is a special operations unit under the IDF Intelligence Command. It is a designated deep reconnaissance unit but it also has counter-terrorist
    Counter-terrorism

    Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, Military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, military, police departments and corporations adopt in response to terrorism, both real and imputed....
     responsibilities. The unit is modelled on the British Special Air Service
    Special Air Service

    The Special Air Service is a special forces regiment within the British Army which has served as a model for the special forces of other countries....
    . It is best known for Operation Entebbe
    Operation Entebbe

    Operation Entebbe, also known as the Entebbe Raid or Operation Thunderbolt, was a Counterterrorism hostage-rescue mission carried out by the Israel Defense Forces at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on the night of 3 July and early morning of 4 July 1976....
    , in which they rescued more than 100 Air France
    Air France

    Air France , based in Paris, France, is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance....
     airline passengers hijacked
    Aircraft hijacking

    Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by force, by either an individual or a group. In most cases the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers....
     to Uganda
    Uganda

    The Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania....
     by PLO terrorists.


  • Sayeret Golani
    Golani Brigade

    The Golani Brigade is an Israeli infantry brigade which was formed on February 28, 1948 when the Levanoni Brigade in the upper Galilee was merged with the Carmeli Brigade to form the Golani Brigade....
     is considered the most highly trained out of the four infantry sayerots. The training is the toughest in the IDF, after Shayetet 13. The unit participated in the Entebbe operation in conjunction with Sayeret Matkal and Sayeret Tzanhanim.


  • Sayeret Shaldag is the Israeli Air Force Commando unit. The unit perform special missions by using advanced combat technologies.


  • Sayeret Yahalom
    Sayeret Yahalom

    Yahalom is a special elite combat engineering unit of the Israeli Engineering Corps of the Israel Defense Forces. The name "Yahalom" is an abbreviation of "Engineering Unit for Special Operations"....
     is a special elite combat engineering
    Combat engineering

    Combat engineering is a combat arms role of using the knowledge, tools and techniques of engineering by troops in peace and war, but specifically in combat....
     unit of the Engineering Corps
    Israeli Engineering Corps

    The Israeli Combat Engineering Corps is the combat engineering forces of the Israel Defense Forces.The Combat Engineering Corps beret's color is silver and their symbol features a sword on a defensive tower with a explosion Halo on the background....
    . It is specialized in accurate demolition
    Demolition

    Demolition is the antonym of construction: the tearing-down of buildings and other structures. It contrasts with deconstruction , which is the taking down of a building while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
    s and planting pinpoint explosives along with other high-scale combat engineering operations in and outside the Israeli borders)


  • Shayetet 13
    Shayetet 13

    Shayetet 13 is the Israel Defense Forces naval Special forces unit. The unit is considered one of the top-three SF units in Israel . S'13 is the unit that specializes in maritime hostage rescue and counter-terrorist missions....
     ("Flotilla 13") is the Israeli naval
    Navy

    A navy is the branch of a nation's military forces principally designated for naval warfare and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions....
     commando
    Commando

    In military science, the term commando denotes an individual soldier, a military unit, and a raid . Contemporarily, commando identifies ?lite light infantry and special forces units specialised in parachuting, rappelling, and amphibious warfare to conduct and effect attacks....
    .


Other sayarot and elite special operations units that became public over the years:

  • Sayeret Egoz - IDF Northern Command Counter-Guerilla Unit
  • Unit Oketz
    Unit Oketz

    Unit Oketz , is the independent K-9 special forces unit, founded in 1939 as part of the Haganah, within the Israel Defense Forces. The unit specialises in training and handling dogs for military applications....
     - IDF K-9 unit
  • Unit Moran & Unit Meitar - IDF Artillery Corps Special Forces Anti-Armour Units
  • Unit Yachmam - IDF Target Observation and Deep Reconnaissance
  • Unit Yanmam - Airborne-capable Anti-Aircraft unit
  • Sayeret Maglan - Airborne Forces Anti-Tank Unit
  • Sayeret Haruv - Former IDF Central Command Special Forces unit
  • Sayeret Shaked - Former IDF Southern Command Special Forces unit
  • Sayeret Rimon - Former Occupied Territories Counter-Terrorism unit that was forerunner to others like Shimshon and Duvdevan. Meir Dagan
    Meir Dagan

    Meir Dagan is an Israel Defense Forces officer and current Director of the Mossad. Born Meir Huberman in the Soviet Union in 1945, Dagan is the son of Holocaust survivors....
     was a member of Rimon.
  • Sayeret Shimshon or Samson Unit
    Samson Unit

    Samson Unit, or Shimshon was a special forces unit within the Israeli Defense Forces. Named after the biblical figure who lived in the same vicinity....
     - Gaza Strip
    Gaza Strip

    The Gaza Strip is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Egypt on the south-west and Israel on the south, east and north....
    : Former Occupied Territories Counter-Terrorism unit
  • Sayeret Duvdevan - West Bank
    West Bank

    The West Bank is the eastern Part of the Palestinian territories on the west bank of the River Jordan in the Middle East. To the west, north, and south the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel....
    : Occupied Territories Counter-Terrorism unit
  • Unit Yaban - IDF/Navy Force Protection unit (Along with Unit Oketz has female operators within its ranks)
  • Unit Yaltam - IDF/Navy Salvage and Recovery unit
  • LOTAR Eilat - IDF Reserve Force Counter-Terrorism/Hostage Rescue Unit, based at the Southern Israeli port city of Eilat.
  • Unit 669
    Unit 669

    Unit 669 is an Airborne Rescue And Evacuation Unit , which is the name of the Israeli Air Force elite heliborne medevac extraction unit....
     - IDF/AF Aeromedical Rescue Unit.
  • Palsar 7 & Palsar 188 & Palsar 401 - The 7th, 188th and 401st Armored Brigades Reconnaissance units
  • Unit 707 - Former IDF/Navy Defensive Divers unit.
  • Unit 5707 - IDF/AF Target Observation and Surveillance unit.
  • Unit 869 - Specialist Visual Intelligence, Observation and Surveillance unit
  • Unit Alpinistim - IDF Alpine unit that patrols the Golan Heights and provides protection for IDF Electronic Listening Posts located at Mount Hermon
    Mount Hermon

    Mount Hermon is a mountain in the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Its highest point is 2,814 m above sea level. This summit is on the border between Syria and Lebanon, and is under Syrian control....
     and Har Avital
    Mount Avital

    Mount Avital is a part of an extinguished volcano in the north east of the Golan Heights. The top of the mountain is 1204 meters above sea level....
    . This unit also provides alpine rescue services.


Each of the four Infantry Brigades (Golani
Golani Brigade

The Golani Brigade is an Israeli infantry brigade which was formed on February 28, 1948 when the Levanoni Brigade in the upper Galilee was merged with the Carmeli Brigade to form the Golani Brigade....
, Givati
Givati Brigade

The Givati Brigade functions as the Marines and is one of the Israeli Infantry Corps in the Israel Defense Forces. Givati soldiers are designated by purple berets....
, Nahal
Nahal

Nahal is an Israel Defense Forces infantry brigade. Historically, it refers to a program that combines military service and establishment of new agricultural settlements, often in outlying areas....
 and Paratroopers) has its own Gadsar (Gidud siyur, as mentioned above).
  • Gadsar Nahal - West Bank
  • Gadsar Tzanchanim
    Gadsar Tzanchanim

    Sayeret Tzanchanim is an Israeli Defense Force unit under the direct command of the headquarters of the 35th Paratroopers Brigade, from which it is drawn....
     - West Bank
  • Gadsar Golani - Gaza Strip
  • Gadsar Givati - Gaza Strip


See also

  • isayeret
    Isayeret

    Isayeret.com is a website dedicated to the Special Forces of the Israel Defense Forces elite units and the Counter Terrorism units of the Israel Police, Israel Border Police and Israel Prison Service....


External links

  • (pay site for non-Israeli visitors)